1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of farm activities such as works in stud farms, stock farms, animal breeding farms and the like, and more particularly the invention refers to a controllable moving fence system for defining the boundaries of a lot for containing livestock, cattle, etc. and for controllably handling and/or feeding the livestock.
While specific reference will be made in this specification to the application of the inventive system for breeding cattle, this system may be well applied to other fields where one or more animals should be managed or, most preferably, where the animals should move over a lot, preferably a pasture lot, in a desirable manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A new moving fence for handling livestock, preferably cattle, has already been disclosed in Argentine Patent Application Serial No. P01010037 to the same inventor and applicant of the present application, filed on Jan., 2001 and published on Sep. 24, 2003. This prior application relates to a fence system including a boundary fence encircling a pasture lot for feeding cattle and a moving fence extending across the lot to divide the lot in at least two lot portions, one for containing the animals and the opposite one for preserving the grass by preventing the animals from uncontrollably entering into the pasture portion. For this purpose the moving fence moves under control in order to allow the animals entering the pasture lot only along a pasture strip that exposes new grass for the cattle only at a zone were each animal has its head to eat the grass, thus preventing the animal to step on the grass and cause damages to the grass. Once a grass strip has been consumed and according to a manual control or programmed parameters, the moving fence moves to live a new strip of land exposed to the animals just only for eating purposes and with an extension enough to allow the cattle to eat without stepping onto the strip. Thus, each animal has always new and fresh grass only exposed along a strip with a width enough for eating.
As it is clearly explained in the inventor's prior patent application, the conventional feeding of the cattle involves many drawbacks. In a conventional farm having cattle some lots are prepared and closed in order to allow the growing of pasture, such as grass, hay and the like, namely food for the cattle, and in order to preserve the well growing of the pasture for feeding the animals. When the pasture has grown properly the animals are permitted to enter the lot for eating. However, when the animals enter the lot they step and uncontrollably walk and move onto the new and fresh grass thus causing important damages thereto. In addition, the urination and defecation of the animals cause important damages in the pasture and an important portion of the pasture are not consumed because of these damages.
As a result of the above uncontrolled moving and handling of the cattle, a large amount of pasture results unproductive for feeding purposes thus causing important looses in the farm profits. The pasture looses are estimated in a 33% which is a high component in the costs involved in the farm. In relation to the daily feeding for several cattle varieties, studies and calculations have been made to determine which is the adequate pasture land or surface for the correct feeding of a number of animals such as a rodeo. According to the inventor's prior application, in the width/length ratio of the lots the surface or area of the pasture strips may be calculated in order that the enough amount of food is available to the animals. The land strips also may be determined for obtaining the optimum utilization and profitability of the pasture.
While the above moving fence system for handling cattle has shown to work efficiently and it is profitable, the inventor has found that the system can be improved in order to get more effective use thereof and to have customized versions of same according to the several needs of different farms. Under these circumstances the inventor has developed a new moving fence system.